Individuals working in specific industries like mills, foundries, plants, and factories have faced numerous challenges. Although much of that involves difficult work, there are certain dangers these workers face. Asbestos exposure can result in serious illnesses such as mesothelioma, asbestosis, and asbestos-related lung cancer. Up to the '90s, factory workers and mesothelioma could go hand in hand.
If you are one of the thousands of US factory workers and mesothelioma has impacted your life, you may be eligible for compensation. File a claim today to learn if you are and start immediately. You can also learn more about the mesothelioma claims process here.
The United States Bureau of Labor Statistics has reported that around 12 million people worked in mills, foundries, plants, and factories in 2020. Some workers had since coming into contact with asbestos if their workplaces were built before the 1980s or used older equipment manufactured before that time.
Despite the outdated conditions those workers face, they aren’t the ones that have faced the highest risks. Factory workers who worked in those places anywhere from the 1940s until the early 1990s faced even higher asbestos exposure. There are a variety of potential sources of exposure those workers face. That includes the workplaces and equipment they used, such as tools and machines to make products and even those used in factory construction.
Asbestos exposure that results in illnesses allows workers afflicted to file mesothelioma claims. Workers who face continuous exposure to carcinogenic substances have the legal right to retain a skilled attorney who can help them fight back to recover compensation for their medical expenses, lost wages, and other damages from developing their diseases.
A person is considered a factory worker if they were employed by a company that performs services involving the manufacture of raw materials, components of various products, partially or semi-finished goods, or products that have been completely assembled.
There are many types of factory workers who might have experienced asbestos exposure. Workers in manufacturing positions have also commonly been exposed to asbestos and are susceptible to developing severe illnesses. All of those workers might include the following:
Any of the above workers who have since developed mesothelioma or other types of asbestos-related illnesses have the right to consult a lawyer to file a claim to recover compensation for their damages.
The one thing that all of these professions share in common is that asbestos was present. However, even if raw materials or products did not contain asbestos, the mineral was probably present inside the equipment workers relied on to effectively run the factory. It might have also been concealed in areas such as the walls and floors of the building housing the factory.
Much of the equipment workers had to use probably contained asbestos, putting all of them in danger because their health at risk. Those most at risk were likely involved with using lathes, grinding machines, and conveyor systems.
If you are one of the thousands of US factory workers and mesothelioma has impacted your life, you may be eligible for compensation. File a claim today to learn if you are and start immediately. You can also learn more about the mesothelioma claims process here.
When products are made on an assembly line, they move from one manufacturing station to another. This is usually done using a mechanical conveyance system. The system comprises a long metal frame that extends from the area where production begins to another area where it ends. Products travel along the conveyance system along the frame on top of a conveyor belt, rollers, or wheels.
Some conveyor systems are made to carry a product down an assembly line if a factory worker does their part and then pushes that product to the next workstation. Others are created to move via natural gravity so the product can travel down the assembly line. Still, many of these systems are designed with electronic motors that help move things.
One of the most common features of a conveyance system is brakes. Along with an electronic motor, brakes can help prevent a conveyor that’s weighed down with many copies of a product from suddenly slipping in the opposite direction when the motor’s power is shut off.
All these components on a conveyance system can generate a lot of heat. Before the 1970s, factories dealt with this by coating the packing of these parts of the system with asbestos. Asbestos was used because it was an effective substance to use as insulation against high heat levels and was cheap in price.
Unfortunately, when asbestos was used to insulate components of a conveyance system, the fibers would often break off, leading to them being inhaled by factory workers. Those fibers would come loose and break due to the friction generated as the parts of the conveyance system would grind and run. They would also break off due to the expected wear and tear. Any parts of a machine coated with asbestos typically begin to crack and break over time with regular usage. As a result, the particles would end up going into the air and being inhaled by anyone who happened to be in the workspace. Individuals directly affected by developing mesothelioma and other asbestos-related illnesses have a right to seek a mesothelioma settlement.
Asbestos was also released into the air if a part undergoing the lathing process contained the substance. The lathe going into the piece could easily result in asbestos dust being released, traveling from one end of the factory to another in a hurry.
These situations made for a hazardous situation for anyone working within the factory. Many workers didn’t realize the dangers and ended up discovering years later and even decades later that they were sick will mesothelioma and other asbestos-related illnesses.
Some components made in the factory or bought or brought in from a supplier might have been worn. As a result, these pieces might not have been usable until they were worked on to smooth them over. One of the pieces of equipment needed to work on those parts is a grinder. Factories commonly have this equipment. Typical parts that make up grinding equipment in a factory include sanders, polishers, planers, and others designed to remove excess material from components.
A grinder is a spinning wheel that is abrasive and used to complete the surface of parts of pieces that are uneven. The wheel spins rapidly and works by gradually removing pieces of material from parts to leave a smooth surface. Waterwheels, followed by steam engines, powered the oldest grinders. By the late 1800s, they were powered by electric motors. Electric motors in grinding equipment typically produce high levels of heat. To prevent too much heat, they were coated or packed with asbestos. The abrasive spinning wheel often also contained asbestos to prevent excessive heat levels.
When the grinders were run, asbestos fibers would loosen and go airborne. The electric motor running was enough to result in asbestos being dislodged. The same would happen when a worn abrasive wheel was replaced with a new one or a different type of wheel.
Asbestos would also get into the air when the grinder was used while working on a piece made with the mineral. The grinding process would result in large quantities of asbestos dust circulating in the air and throughout the workspace. Workers who became ill had the right to consult a mesothelioma lawyer and file claims.
Workers often unwittingly breathed it in or even swallowed it when asbestos got into the air around the factory. Sadly, the workers were completely unaware of the danger around them. Many were left reeling from mesothelioma, asbestos lung cancer, and other asbestos-related illnesses.
Factory workers who had to handle parts and finished goods that included asbestos were at significant risk of developing illnesses as they were exposed to the harmful substance. Tasks such as assembly, picking, staging, sorting, quality testing, and preparation for shipment put workers at an even higher risk.
Workers who roughly handled any of these raw materials or semi-finished goods often ended up breaking apart fingers of asbestos. The fibers would then get into the air and disperse throughout the factory.
When workers were not wearing the appropriate protective gear, such as respirators, there was a much greater chance of them inhaling or ingesting the asbestos as it swirled around the factory air. After the particles got into the workers’ bodies, they would stay there for years at a time and cause damage to the cells in or around the lungs or intestines. As a result, those people later suffered mesothelioma, asbestos lung cancer, asbestosis, and other asbestos-related diseases.
Older factories constructed before the 1980s were more likely to have been made with materials such as asbestos. Many of those factories are still being used to this day.
Asbestos could be found just about anywhere in the factory setting. Every area, from the walls to the ceiling to the roof to the insulation and even the plumbing, was likely to contain asbestos. When these sources of asbestos were combined with the ones in the air and those in manufacturing equipment, workers were exposed to even greater levels of asbestos regularly, leading to horrific illness years later.
If you are one of the thousands of US factory workers and mesothelioma has impacted your life, you may be eligible for compensation. File a claim with our office today to learn if you are, and start immediately. You can also learn more about the mesothelioma claims process here.
If you were a factory worker who worked under these conditions and faced exposure to asbestos or a loved one who worked in a factory and was exposed, chances are high that you or they have been stricken with illness. Developing mesothelioma, asbestos lung cancer, asbestosis, or other asbestos-related diseases is devastating. If you or a loved one have been diagnosed with one of these illnesses due to exposure to asbestos while working in a factory, mill, foundry, or plant, you have a right to file a mesothelioma claim.
A mesothelioma lawyer can help you prepare your claim and help you recover the maximum compensation to cover your medical expenses, ongoing treatment, lost wages, pain and suffering, and any other damages you have suffered as a result of your illness. You have the right to initiate a lawsuit against the company or companies that led to the exposure to asbestos. If your claim is successful, you could receive significant compensation for your damages.
Often, the company or companies being sued due to exposure to mesothelioma might settle out of court to avoid a potentially lengthy trial. They occasionally choose to do this to avoid getting out about their workers suffering serious mesothelioma and other asbestos-related illnesses to the public. As a result, they might offer a more than fair settlement to cover the plaintiff’s damages.
In addition to receiving a mesothelioma settlement from the company or companies, it might also be possible for factory workers to receive compensation through a special system when it’s impossible to take the target of a lawsuit to court. This might be possible if the company or companies have filed for bankruptcy protection, making them immune from such litigation.
Consulting with an attorney is imperative if you have fallen ill with mesothelioma or another asbestos-related illness. It will help strengthen your case so that you can obtain the maximum compensation for your damages. Contact us today.
